Teen Hunter Who Killed Hiker He Thought Was Bear Gets 30 Days in Juvenile Detention

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. – A 15-year-old teen hunter who killed a Sauk Mountain hiker he mistook for a bear has been sentenced to 30 days in juvenile detention and 120 hours of community service.

Tyler J. Kales, of Concrete, apologized to the victim's family at Friday's sentencing and said he hoped they could forgive him.

The hiker, 54-year-old Pamela Almli of Oso, was killed Aug. 2 on a popular hiking trail north of Seattle. Kales, then 14, was hunting with his older brother, then 16.

The victim's sister, Gail Blacker, told the teen that "in one second you destroyed everything."

Kales was convicted last month of second-degree manslaughter with a firearm. Skagit County Superior Court Judge Susan Cook also sentenced him to a year of probation and said his community service must include four hours of hunting safety education.